Beauty
by kh3vocaloidfan
Summary: Ally Dawson faces bullying everyday, and, better yet, with parents that don't understand her lament. There is only one thing keeping her going, and that's her little sister, Angel. One day, she says two words that she never thought would be directed to her. Meanwhile, can a certain blonde boy help her with her bullying and insecurities? Minor-ish language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I came back with another story.**

**I didn't really want to put Tilly as a _bad _character, but I couldn't think of any other girl .. Sorry, if you like Tilly.**

**I want to hear you guys' thoughts on it. Should I continue? If I do, then you guys have to put suggestions, because I have no idea where the story's gonna go...**

**K that's all I have for now!~ Bai ;3**

* * *

"Hey ugly!" Oh geez, not this… I turned around to face the she devil herself. Tilly Thompson. "Yes?" I asked innocently.

"You should know better than getting in my way, you hoe!" she spat. I clenched my jaw. How dare she talk about me like that? I had a cleaner sex life than she did!

"You don't know anything about me, _Tilly!_" I seethed, venom splattering all over her face. Her expression turned into a sour look. Then, an evil smirk plastered her face. Suddenly, her hand shot out and slapped me. I fell to the ground, hand on my cheek. After I recovered from the initial sock and pain, I glared daggers through Tilly. She had a satisfied smirk on her _pretty_, little face. Blech. I wondered why all the guys at our school wanted to go out with this poor excuse of a girl.

As I seethed at her, her hand took a fistful of my hair, causing me to cringe. She brought my face close to hers and whispered threateningly, "I hope we don't have this talk again, now do I?" She tugged my hair, making me nod. "Good. Any last words for your _generous_ queen?" she said with a sadistic smile cemented on her evil face.

Through clenched jaws, I said, "You are not my queen, you tramp."

Anger boiled through Tilly. I could tell from the flames in her eyes.

"Why you little-!" she was interrupted by one of the girls in her posse, Maddi, I think.

"_Tilly_, we're going to be late for our manicures! Just drop the loser already. We'll come back later!" she said while intent on texting.

Tilly nodded and then turned back towards me. "You're lucky this time, but you won't be so reluctant next time."

"Ooooh, big words. Didn't know you knew them," I said with a smirk. She groaned exasperated and released her death grip on my hair. She huffed and turned on her heel. She walked into the street without looking. I heard the familiar hum and gasped. Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed Tilly's wrist. I jerked her back before the car slammed into her. She stood there in total shock. When she regained her composure, she glared at the hand holding her wrist. She ripped her arm from my grasp and glared at me.

"Don't. Touch. Me," she spat. Her hands grasped my wrist and twisted. I howled in agony. She smirked yet again in satisfaction. She released her hold on my arm and left, making sure to look both ways first. I sat on the ground, staring in shock. I looked down at my throbbing wrist and cringed at the damage. There were already bruises forming. I sighed and tugged my jacket on to cover the marks.

"The least she could do was thank me…" I mumbled.

I trudged home. Oh, how impolite am I? I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Ally Dawson, and I go to Miami High. Those girls bully me on a daily basis. My parents aren't much help. They say it's a "phase" and it'll blow over in time. What great parents they are.

Being as clumsy as I am, I happened to bump into a person. I cursed under my breath for being so stupid.

"Are you okay?" a male voice asked. I looked up and saw a pair of brown eyes filled with concern.

I jumped to my feet, a bit flustered. The boy looked familiar. He had adorable, brown eyes and silky blonde hair. "I'm fine hehe…" I said, unconvincingly. He looked at me weird. "Well! I got to go now. Bye…" I said walking away.

"O-okay…" he said, suspicious. I curse myself again for doing that. If you couldn't tell, I don't trust people that easily. They'll just end up hurting you. I thought it was easier to keep away, so you don't have to experience the pain.

All that thinking made time pass, and before I knew it, I was home. I sighed in relief. A look of happiness replaced my expression of sorrow. I silently slipped into the house to greet my pride and joy, Angel. Angel is my little sister, and the only person keeping me sane in my life. A smile graced my face as she locked eyes with me. She had porcelain skin with the same brown locks as me, but they were straight. She had bright brown, doe eyes that were the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life. She really was an angel. Her eyes lit up and she rushed over to me.

"How was your day, Ally?" she asked excitedly.

"Great," I lied. I didn't want to ruin her innocence. I didn't want to wipe that smile off her face. I didn't want her to worry about _me_. I put on a fake smile. A smile I have perfected all these years, so that you couldn't see all the sorrow I was really experiencing.

She gave me a smile back. My heart ached. She was so happy. Unlike me… I went into the kitchen to fix a snack for me and Angel. I tossed her a bar, and she happily gobbled it down. After I finished my snack, I headed towards my room, but I was stopped by a voice floating through the air.

"Ally~ Can you come here?" Angel asked. I smiled again. A sweet smile. I glanced at clock and thought , '_I guess I could spend time with Angel before I do my homework. I mean, it's a Friday, right?'_

"Yes, Angel," I said and walked over to her. She patted the spot next to her on the couch, asking me to sit. I happily obliged and sat. She laid her head on my shoulder, and I lightly placed my head on hers. We sat in comfortable silence for a few moments.

"Ally?" she spoke softly.

"Yes, my little Angel?" I cooed while I stroked her face. She smiled softly.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" she asked innocently.

I was a bit flustered. My face heated up. "Well, um… no, I don't."

"Oh. Well, does anyone like you? Like, _like_ like you?" she questioned again.

I planted a small kiss on top of her head. I said gently, "Angel… I don't think any guy would like a girl like me… I'm just too weird." I shook my head gently.

She lifted her head slowly and looked at me with furrowed brows. "But Ally… why not? You're beautiful." In that moment, there was no doubt in my mind. She was truly an angel.

I started tearing up. I never thought those two words would ever be directed at me. I sat there shaking for a bit, and Angel started looking concerned. "Ally…?"

I couldn't stand it anymore. I broke down crying in my little sister's arms. Yes, me, the Ally Dawson who never shed a tear to bullying. The Ally Dawson who didn't trust anyone and watched her back, so very meticulously. _The_ Ally Dawson who was not afraid to speak her mind – even if she got hurt.

Angel didn't question me. She sat there stroking my face, brushing my hair out of my face. She had a look of sympathy on her angelic face. After I had calmed down, I lay there in her arms. I whispered ever so softly that I was surprised that she heard it, "How am I beautiful?"

Angel ran her fingers along her jaw line thoughtfully. "Well, you are caring. Even if you don't trust a person, you help them," Thoughts of me saving Tilly from the car flashed through my mind. "you are not afraid to speak what's on your mind," Me standing up for myself in front of my terrorizers. (A/N: Is that even a word? XD) "and you are quite independent." '_…_ ' Angel smiled at me. "Beauty is only skin deep. It's what's inside that matters."

I shed even more tears, and enveloped Angel in a hug.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hiya guys! How are you?**

**I didn't really expect so many people to like this, but thank you! This is purely a filler chapter... I didn't know what to do, so, please, give me more suggestions. I appreciate you guys reading my story though. OwO**

**Oh, and sorry this chapter's so short. Well, that's all I have to say.**

**kthnxbai~ ;3**

* * *

I scribbled down the last answer to my homework. I closed my book and walked to the living room where I heard the familiar noise of the TV. Smiling, I stood and watched Angel sleep peacefully on the couch. I sat next to her, and brush the hairs that fell onto her face. Ever so gently, I plucked her up and walked to her room.

With one last kiss on her forehead, I tucked her into bed and wished her goodnight. After I yawned, I realized how late it had become. I lugged myself to my room and lay on the bed. I just lay there, staring at my ceiling, until sleep eventually took over.

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Oh geez, can't this wait another time?

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

A few more minutes…

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"Ugh!" I grabbed my phone and answered it. "What do you want?" I asked groggily.

"Well, who woke up on the other side of the bed this morning?" Trish said. I groaned in reply.

"Trish, you know I'm not a morning person," I said while rubbing my eyes. "So, is that all you called me for?"

"No, I was wondering if you wanted to hang around the mall since your dad gave you the day off." Trish replied.

I thought it over. "Fine," I said, "but you're paying." I heard Trish groan over the phone before muttering "Fine." I smirked. After lying on my bed for a few moments, I dragged myself out of bed to prepare for the day.

Trish was my friend since kindergarten. She was bullied as well, but she stood up for herself. I was quite the opposite at that time. I cowered in fear. Trish tried ever so hard to gain my trust. From eating lunch at my table, to standing up for me. After a few months of this, I finally opened up to her, and we've been friends ever since. I'm really glad I have a person that I can trust 100% - other than Angel.

I pulled on a t-shirt and put on some jeggings. I was being quite lazy, but that's what happens when I don't get enough sleep. I heard Trish roll up in front of the house. I said bye to Angel and my mom who was making something yummy in the kitchen. I grabbed an apple and ate it on the way to the car.

On the way to the mall, Trish and I made small talk. There wasn't anything major to talk about, and it was a short ride to the mall.

"So, did anything exciting happen?" Trish said as we sat down at a table in the food court.

I sighed. "Not really…" I said, "Can you get us some smoothies, Trish? Please?" My face was in my hands. Yes, I really was that tired.

Trish just looked at me and sighed. She got up and asked me, "What kind of smoothie?"

I grinned. "Strawberry, please?" Trish nodded and stalked away to the smoothie shop. I looked up and saw the cell phone accessory cart guy looking at me. Being polite, I smiled and did a small wave. '_I wonder what that was…_' A few more moments passed by as I surveyed the food court. Then a familiar mop of blonde caught my eye. That boy from earlier was looking at me. I looked at him and smiled. He blushed slightly and turned away. '_What a shy boy…_'

"I'm back~" Trish sang. She pulled me out of my thoughts and I happily took my smoothie. As I slurped down my drink, I completely tuned out Trish about how annoyed she was about being fired from her job. I took quick glances at that boy… I think I've seen him around school…

Trish eventually noticed my behavior and followed my gaze to him. She smirked. "Oooh, does Ally-cat have a crush?" she teased. I turned pink almost immediately.

"N-no! " I exclaimed. Trish raised an eyebrow. "He just… looks so familiar… I mean other than seeing him at school." I said defensively.

Trish rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's get home before it gets late." she said. I was relieved that she finally decided to change the subject. As we were leaving, I stole another quick glance at him and I find him looking at me too. I quickly turn away and follow Trish to her car.

We finally arrive home and I turn to leave. "Wait." I heard Trish say. I turn around to face her. She's looking straight at my wrist. I gasp and cover it. "Ally… what happened?"

Just then, my mother calls me in for dinner. "Um, I'll explain later," and with that I took off. As I shut the door, I leaned against it and sighed in relief. I muttered, "Why do I do this to myself?"


	3. Chapter 3

**IMPORTANT - I will be in Philadelphia for about 10 days, so I don't know if I'll be able to post any chapters during that time span. So, sorry! **

**Okay, I've been procrastinating a lot while writing this chapter, so here you go. A longish chapter for you. Hope that will serve you well until I come back w Thank you guys who have been reading this so far!**

**kthnxbai~ ;3**

* * *

I spent my Sunday locked up in my room. Then… Monday came.

I sighed as I got out of bed and got ready for school. I pulled on my clothes slowly, as if it would help slow down time. It didn't work.

"Honey! Come down here, you're going to be late for school!" my mom shouted. '_If only I could so I don't have to go._' I thought bitterly.

I ran down the stairs and grabbed a breakfast bar. It would quench my hunger until lunch. I heard a honk and looked out the window. Trish was waiting. I kissed my mom and Angel goodbye, and left for the car. I was hoping I wouldn't have to explain about the bruise, but I knew I had to. I was lucky yesterday when Trish got busy with a job with a scary boss.

"Hurry up, Ally! We're going to be late!" Trish yelled from her car. She snapped me out of my thoughts, and I realized that I was walking slowly. I rushed inside the car and buckled my seat belt. I stared intently at my feet. Trish started the car and headed down a road I knew so well. A road that lead away from my sanctuary.

"So… about my bruise…" Trish kept silent. I took that as a sign to continue. After I had explained everything, Trish fumed with anger.

"I'm going to kill that devil!" she stated.

I continued. "I didn't want to tell you because… I didn't want you to worry…"

Trish visibly relaxed and sighed. "Okay… but only because it's you." She smiled and we pulled up in front of the school. Or should I say, my hell hole. I braced myself for all the insults that were going to be thrown at me before I entered. I was surprised when no one said anything or talked to me. Not even Tilly, who always waited for me at the front of the school to torment me. I looked at Tilly suspiciously. She was with her posse of wannabes, and she was smirking darkly. They were planning something… something_ big_.

The day went along smoothly. This was wrong. Something was up. I was too busy chewing my hair to notice that blonde boy staring sympathetically at me.

Then, lunch came. I was going to sit with Trish, but she wasn't there. I frowned for a bit, but then remembered she had tutoring during lunch on Mondays. I sat contently at my empty table, eating my burger. I was interrupted from my peaceful silence by… Maddi? For once, she wasn't sucked into texting someone.

She took my hand and dragged me over to the hall. She put a finger over her mouth and said "Shhhh…" And she winked. I didn't have a good feeling about this…

She stopped in front of the janitor's closet and finally turned towards me. "Tilly and the others don't know this, but… you're my hero!" she exclaimed. I was thoroughly shocked. She continued. "I mean you're so independent and stuff. Can I have a picture with you?" she almost screamed. Without giving me a chance to say anything, she grabbed me by the shoulders and took a picture.

I stared wide-eyed at her. This wasn't right… wait… Maddi was always the actress of the group. "You're lying," I said darkly. She looked scared for a moment, but then returned to the act.

"What? I'm not! I always hung out with Tilly to be popular. I had nothing against you." She belted out.

"I know you're lying. Stop with the act."I said again, coldly. She backed up against the wall, nervously. She took a shaky breath. "I'm going back to the cafeteria." I stated and turned to walk off. She grabbed my arm to stop me. I snapped my head towards her and glared. She shrunk back down.

When I arrived back to the cafeteria, I saw Tilly and her group, minus Maddi, hovering over my table. As I approached, Tilly saw me and smirked. She didn't say anything to me. She nodded towards her posse and they all left. I raised an eyebrow to their behavior and returned to eating my food. I took a quick glance towards them and saw Maddi return to them, out of breath. She was quite shaken and terrified. Whatever.

* * *

Throughout the day, my stomach was getting cramps. By P.E., I was feeling nauseous. I asked the coach if I can go to the nurse. He approved and I rushed over. She felt my forhead and sent me home right away. I swore I saw Tilly smirk yet again as I passed. My mom drove me home and dropped me off. She still had work to do. I stumbled inside and collapsed on the couch. My throat felt dry and my stomach was doing flips. I felt something at the back of my throat and I ran to the bathroom. I vomited into the toilet for a while, until I lugged myself to my room. I gritted my teeth when I came to the conclusion that I had food poisoning. So that's what they were planning.

I sighed as I knew I'd have to miss school for a day or two. I passed out for a while until I heard the door creak open. I opened one eye and saw Angel looking at me, concerned.

"Are you okay?" she whispered. I sighed and sat up.

"Better than before. I think I'll take the day off tomorrow and then I'll be fine." I smiled weakly at her. "Now go. You might catch my food poisoning!" She giggled and walked out the room. I knew that it was unlikely for her to catch it, but I needed time alone. I looked in the mirror and I looked sickly pale. I brushed my teeth because I tasted vomit in my mouth… gross. Then, yet again, I passed out on my bed.

* * *

I didn't realize how long I've been sleeping until I saw the morning rays shine into my room. I sauntered into the kitchen and was surprised to see Angel in the kitchen.

"Angel? Shouldn't you be in school?" I asked weakly. She shook her head.

"I wanted to take the day off. You know, to take care of my big sis." She replied simply.

"So wait, you're going to miss out on your education for me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She sighed. "Well, it's not that big of a deal today. I mean, it's just a field trip…" she said. I gaped at her. She loved going on fieldtrips.

"Angel, you love going on fieldtrips! I don't want to be the reason for you not going on one." I said.

She simply shook her head. "No, it's no big deal. It was my choice to stay here. Plus, it's only a field trip to the grocery store. _Boring~_" she replied.

I sighed and finally stopped protesting. I ate the breakfast she made for me. She was a pretty good cook for a 12 year old. After I had finished, I asked Angel if she wanted to play any games. We ended up playing a bunch of fun games to take my mind off stuff. Finally, we stopped playing and just sat down for some girl talk.

"So, Angel, do you have a boyfriend?" I asked teasingly. I grinned deviously. Hey, just because she was my sister didn't mean I could have some fun once in a while.

She turned pink and stuttered, "N-no!" I laughed good heartedly.

"Okay, does anyone like you?" I asked.

"A few boys have asked me…" she said quietly. That didn't surprise me. Angel was adorable, sort of a dork (like me), and was very kind. I poked at her more, seeing the blush she had.

"And any of them you like? Hmmmm?" I asked once more.

She huffed and sighed. So Adorkable. "I've been trying to get his attention, but he never notices me…" I quirked an eyebrow. My little sister has a crush? I've got to know more.

"And who's this boy's name?" I asked.

She blushed and said, "Aiden." A smiled graced her pretty face.

I smiled. I knew my sister wouldn't fall for one of the 'bad' boys, but I wanted to know more about this Aiden.

"Well, what's he look like? What's his personality?" She seemed surprised at my interest in her love life.

"Well… He has blonde hair, so he stands out in the classroom. But he's really shy and tries not to attract attention. He tries to act like he's invisible, but he can be very nice if he wants to," Her dreamy look was replaced with a slight frown. "But all the popular girls have a crush on him too… he'll probably never notice me with all those girls chasing him…." she said sullenly.

I ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, just stay the way you are and I'm sure he'll be falling for you before you know it," I said with a laugh. She cracked a smile.

"Sure," she said while she rolled her eyes. I grinned at her.

We were interrupted by the doorbell ringing. "Huh, I wonder who that is…" I said. "Don't worry, I'll get it." I said when I saw Angel standing up to get it.

"Are you sure? I mean you are sick…" she rambled. I shook my head.

"Positive," I replied.

I walked to the door and was surprised at who was there. That blonde boy. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Umm, the teacher asked me to bring your homework to you…" He trailed off.

I gave him a smile and said thank you. "Why did the teacher send you? Not trying to be rude, but I barely know you," I said with a laugh. He grinned.

"Well, you probably don't notice me because I'm sort of invisible at school, but , if you hadn't noticed, I'm in all of your classes." He replied. Well he finally opened up to me.

"Well, silly me. Thanks for bringing the homework." I said.

"Yeah…" he said, looking down. I was confused for a few moments until I realized that he was staring at my wrist. Most of it had healed, but it still had a slight ghost. I was about to hide it out of sight when he gently grabbed my arm. He ran his fingers along the skin around the bruise.

"It must have hurt badly, am I right? When you got this?" he asked quietly. I was surprised. I was expecting him to ask how I got it, or I should be more careful. He must have danced around the subject. I nodded slowly.

He released my hand and looked at me with a cocky grin. "Well, my name's Austin Moon by the way," he said. "What's yours?"

I forgot that he didn't know my name. I smiled and said, "Ally. Ally Dawson."

He smiled and said, "Pretty name. Well, hope to see you at school soon!" and with that he left.

I slowly shut the door and turned around. I was surprised when I saw Angel looking at me with a knowing look. "What's with that look?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing," she replied and she waltzed off to the living room. I sighed and followed her. I drifted off on the couch after a while into the horror movie Angel and I were watching.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I finally decided to be productive with the story!**

**I hoped you guys liked the preview! Haha, once I started writing, I couldn't stop. Sorry I haven't been updating a lot, I've been busy with school and all that stuff.**

**So, I've finally incorporated some of the show into the story (I forgot to earlier).**

**So… Auslly friendship or romance? ;3 Tell me which one you prefer.**

**Anyways… on with the story! X3**

* * *

I woke up early for the next day of torture. Except… this time, it didn't feel so bad going to school. I picked up my songbook from my shelf and tucked it safely into my bag. I haven't written in it for a while. I guess I lost my muse, or just the fact I've been brutally bullied for some time. Though, now, I had an itching feeling to scribble down my thoughts in there. I decided not to write my personal things in there, because, yet again, I don't trust so easily.

I walked past Angel's room and saw her sleeping soundly on her desk. I noticed she was resting her head on a leather book. I smiled. She was up late writing in her own diary/songbook. She rarely writes songs though. It's mostly poems and story ideas.

I walked to the kitchen and grabbed a waffle. "Thanks Mom," I said absentmindedly while reading a book.

She nodded amiably and returned to making breakfast. I heard the usual honk and said bye to Mom. I headed to the car and entered. I greeted Trish as usual and we took off.

"So, how was school while I was gone?" I asked. Trish replied with nothing too interesting. I kept making small talk until Trish grinned.

I cocked my head. "What?"

"Well, you're in a good mood," she simply replied. I was still confused. "Usually, you stare out the window and give one word responses. What happened to 'I'm not a morning person'?"

I looked down. I didn't want to tell her about Austin, she'd freak out that I talked to a guy. "I guess… Angel cheered me up! I also found out that she likes someone~" I said slyly. I was able to make it sound convincing. Let's just say, I'm not the best lier in the world. Luckily, Trish smirked.

"Well, good for her. I'm sure she'll get him wrapped around her finger," she said. I was about to reply, but we already pulled up in front of the school. I said thanks to Trish and walked out. Everything was fine, until I ran into Tilly.

"How was your food yesterday?" she sneered. I glared at her and refrained from ripping her face off at that moment. I decided to drop it, and walked to class.

I walked into the classroom and dropped my stuff on my desk. I looked around to see if anyone was around. No one. I snaked my songbook out of my bag and wrote some lyrics to pass time.

I tapped my pencil against the desk into a beat. '_Hmm… that sounds good!_' I began scribbling lyrics onto a fresh page.

_You show the lights that stop me, turn to stone. You shine them when I'm alone._

I read over the words that I just wrote. I wasn't thinking when I wrote them. I guess that's what I've been feeling this whole time. I belted out more lyrics.

_And so I tell myself that I'll be strong, and dreaming when they're gone._

_Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home. Calling, calling, calling home._

I sighed. Ah, home. My escape. Where I feel normal…

I was busy in my own world that I didn't notice anyone come in. "That's good…" someone whispered into my ear. I jumped out of my chair and stumbled to the ground. I looked up to see the culprit was Austin.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, looking concerned. I lifted myself off the ground, ignoring Austin's attempt to help me up.

"That's alright…" I looked at my book. "You really think it's good?" I said a bit nervous. He smiled at me.

"Of course! That's better than anything I can do," he replied. He rubbed the back of his neck. It was then that I noticed the calluses on his fingers.

"So, you play guitar?" I asked. He stared at me.

"How'd you know?" he asked. I laughed. I brought his hand up and pointed to the thickened skin. "Oh…"

I let go of his hand when the teacher came in. We both walked to our respected seats and did our own thing. We would occasionally glance at each other and smile. The teacher didn't notice and continued reading his book. I thought everything was perfectly fine until _the sadistic queen_ walked in. I sent more glares in her direction before safely tucking my songbook into my bag. I wasn't safe writing in it when Tilly was around.

She flaunted her figure around by swinging her hips as she walked. Some guys began to drool. I rolled my eyes and wished that the period would pass by fast. Luckily, it did. The teacher rambled on and on about his favorite book, so we didn't learn anything important. It was fine with me because I could stare out the window and watch the clouds…

* * *

And so the day passed by normally. Glares and stares. All the usual. Then, I sighed in relief when lunch came. I met up with Trish and we ate our lunch at our special table. The table where we became friends. I was eating my lunch, careful over who or what comes in contact with it.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spot Austin. I try to suppress a smile, so Trish isn't suspicious. She didn't seem to notice. I look over in his general direction and see him talking to a red headed boy. I rack my brain and remember glimpses of them talking together from time to time. I didn't know because I haven't paid any attention to him until now. Suddenly, he caught my eye and I looked away.

Again, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him approach. I glanced at Trish. She was slightly confused and possibly, if I'm reading it right, happy that two guys came to our table. Austin smiled innocently and said, "Hey Ally~"

"Hey," I responded. He frowned at my short response, but quickly recovered.

"By the way, this is Dez. He's my bro." Austin said as he introduced the ginger. "My best buddy," he said with a smile. Dez looked up from his camera and gave a kind smile. He quickly gave his attention to the small device, though.

I smiled and nodded. I felt a pain in my abdomen as Trish jabbed her finger into my side. "Ally, who are these guys?" she asked.

"Well, you already met Dez. That's Austin." I replied, rubbing my side. Austin smiled and waved.

"Okay… then why are they talking to us?" Trish asked. I know that might have sounded rude, but this was Trish we were talking about.

"_Because_, we both need more friends." I said. She sighed, and at least _tried_ to make small talk.

Finally, the lunch bell rang, and we all departed. Austin and I walked in comfortable silence towards our next class.

* * *

I put the keys into the hole and opened up the store, Sonic Boom, my dad's music store. I walked behind the counter and took out my songbook, not expecting any customers until later into the day. I continued the song that I was working on in class. I tapped the pencil thoughtfully against my face, slightly chewing the eraser. It was a small habit I've developed when I was a prolithic songwriter.

While I was scribbling down more lyrics to the song I was working on earlier, the door opened, signaling that a customer came in. I paid no attention to them. _'Probably some person looking around…'_ I thought. The person stopped in front of me, probably trying to gain my attention. Luckily, I looked up. I let out a small gasp and dropped my pencil.

A familiar mop of blonde hair and a smirk filled my vision. "Hey Ally!" He greeted.

I got over my shock, and responded with a curt, "Hi." He pursed his lips, as if thinking.

"So, you work here?" he asked.

"Yeah, my dad owns the store," I responded. He grinned broadly.

"I guess I'll be seeing you a lot more then, huh?" he said. I gave a nod. He obviously loved music.

He waved and said, "Well, I've got to go now. Nice seeing you!" He smiled again and left.

I waved back and smiled faintly. I glanced at the clock and realized that it was time for my break.

I decided to take a walk and sort out my thoughts. Hesitantly, I took my songbook. Maybe, just maybe, I'll have the courage to write something close to personal in there. Like I used to…

I walked all over the mall. I looked at the fountain, all the stores, stared at the clouds… I was thinking the whole time. I sat down and placed my pencil to my book. My hand stayed still. Nothing. No words flowed out onto my song book. I let out a shaky sigh. I had all these thoughts, yet I couldn't express them into my songbook. What a coward I am.

I stood up, a little down. My eyes glued to the ground, I slowly started for the store, defeated. Clumsy as always, I bumped into someone.

"Sorry," I mumbled. When I looked up, I was met with kind eyes and hair that flopped just the right way.

* * *

**Cliffhanger!**

**Anyways, I'm sorry DX I know some of you absolutely didn't want any Dally in the story, but I added it to thicken the plot. Hopefully, you guys don't stop reading now! I swear, it will become better!**

**It'll bring Austin and Ally closer!**

**Oh, a****nd, Trez anyone? ;)**

**Thnx for reading! Bai~ :3**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again~**

**Nice to see that you're still reading, I really appreciate that! I never thought I'd be a very good writer, so thanks for giving me a chance.**

**Enough of this, here's the next installment to our tale!**

* * *

Kind eyes. Hair that flopped just the right way.

As I stared at him, I noticed he was that cell phone accessory cart guy. He widened his eyes.

"N-no, I'm sorry! I should have looked…" he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's fine," I brushed my clothes, "I'll be going now…"

"A-ally!" he exclaimed. I stopped. How did he know my name?

"I-I was wondering if you would… maybe…" he hesitated, "go out with me."

I spun around. I pointed at myself. "Me?"

He merely nodded. I shrugged. I thought for a while, and all was silent except for the birds chirping and the pedestrians passing. I swallowed.

"I'll think about it," I said in a small voice. He nodded respectfully. With a small "thank you", he left.

I walked back into Sonic Boom, and found Trish waiting for me.

"There you are!" she exclaimed. "Guess who got a job at the Taco Hut!" she asked, making her usual pose in her ridiculous costume.

With a small chuckle, I asked, "You?"

"Ding ding ding!" she laughed. She then stopped. "Are you okay Ally? You seem… deep in thought."

"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking…" I trailed off. She drew closer, eyebrow fully arched. "Okay. A boy asked me out…"

She squealed in excitement. I cowered from the sound, and covered my ears. "Okay! Wait, who?" she asked.

"Ummm, that guy from the cell phone accessory cart?" I said. She smiled wider and squealed louder.

"You should totally say yes! He's so cute, and every girl wants to go out with him! He's nice too, great for the parents, huh?" she rambled on and on about how this 'Dallas' was so great.

I shrugged. "Like I said, I'm thinking about it."

She pouted. "Fine, but I totally think the right choice would be to say yes," she replied.

* * *

After arriving home, I said my greetings, and walked to my room. I lay on my bed and put my hands over my face. _'What should I do?'_ I thought. I never had to deal with these things. No guys ever liked me. Ever.

A small knock on my door brought me out of my thoughts. I took my hands off my face and looked up.

"What's up, Angel?" I asked smiling. Angel blushed and shuffled a little bit towards me. I gestured for her to come closer. She came.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked after I sat up.

She stiffened. "W-why would you think I-I wanted to talk about something?" she stuttered.

She smiled and lightly hit her shoulder. "You looked like you had something on your mind. Nervous, maybe?"

She looked at her linked fingers on her lap. I smirked. I could read her emotions like a book.

"W-well, today, the teacher was splitting us up into partners, and well," she smiled, "Aiden and I got paired up with each other."

I grinned broadly. "That's great! Is that all you're nervous about?"

"No… well, for this project, I have to go over to his house, so…" she trailed off.

"So?" I asked.

"So… can you please come over with me?" she squeaked. I raised an eyebrow. "H-he has an older brother! Perhaps, you can meet him?" she suggested.

I pursed my lips. I sighed and said, "If it's for you little sis." She smiled and hugged me tight.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you…" she repeated. I only smiled.

She left the room, and I was left with my thoughts again. _'What should I do?'_ I sighed again and flopped on my bed.

'_Maybe… maybe, I should ask Austin. He's a boy. He should know something about this, right?'_ I turned on my side. _'Maybe…'_

I opened the car door, and numbly walked to school. Thinking thinking thinking. I guess this is what happens when I don't

* * *

write in my book for so long. All the thoughts just stay in my head.

I walked into the classroom, early of course, and pulled out my book to wait for the written work that will never come. The same old drill. I chuckled dryly. My pencil, held up my fingers, stood waiting for me to write out my thoughts, my questions. But they never came.

I gritted my teeth. _'I'll start out simple then.'_ I willed my hand to write out the words that kept repeating in my head.

_What should I do?_

There. It seemed simple. I twisted my head side to side, waiting for someone to jump out and grab it. Nothing. I felt a small wave of relief wash over me.

At that moment, Austin walked in. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I was nervous asking about this stuff. I mean, I'm uncomfortable talking about this stuff with Trish, but talking about it to someone I just met!

I scuffled around a bit, and waited for Austin to come to me. He did, as I expected. "Hello~" he greeted.

"Hi…" I asked, a bit shyly. I mentally cursed myself. Why was I doing this? He blinked at the unusual response. My greetings were short, nothing more, nothing less.

I felt a bit self conscious with him staring down at me, so I shrank down a bit. He cocked his head.

"Is there something bothering you?" he asked.

I stiffly shook my head. "No…" I croaked out.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Geez, he gets so worried over me. I hesitantly nodded.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, so see ya after class?" he asked awkwardly. I mentally sighed while nodding.

He turned and began to walk away, but soon stopped. He looked back at the hand that was tugging on his shirt. My hand.

"Can I… can I ask you something?" I asked. He slowly turned his head.

"Um, sure?" he replied uncertainly. I bit my lip.

"Um… a guy asked me out, and I don't know what to do…" I squeaked. He raised his eyebrows, but then smirked.

"So, this is about a boy then?" he asked coyly. I blushed.

"Y-yes," I said.

He smiled and said, "Then say yes! Any guy would be lucky to date you!"

I turned even more red. Any guy? "Y-you think so?" I asked, turning my head away. I started to chew my hair slightly. But that was soon stopped short when Austin took the hair out of my mouth.

"Sure! You are one awesome person," he replied. With that, he walked back to his seat.

I sighed. _'If only I thought that…'_

* * *

What a pretty cloud. It's shaped like two bunnies. They're touching noses, and are apparently very happy.

"Ally!" a voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"H-huh? What?" I stuttered. I lifted my head and spun around. I relaxed once I saw Trish. "Oh hey, Trish," I said blankly.

"Ally! Were you listening to me?" she asked incredulously. I shook my head. She sighed. "Well, did you give Dallas an answer yet?"

I shook my head once again.

"Well… make the right choice," she said wisely. I cocked an eyebrow. _'When did she get so wise?'_ I thought.

"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Trish defended. A light flashed. _Click._

Dez looked up from his camera. "Perfect shot," he smiled. Trish growled.

"You look perfect in this light," he said, mostly directing at Trish. She ceased her snarl. "But, you could get rid of that frown."

"That's it! You're getting it!" Trish yelled as she chased after Dez. For a while, I stared in the direction they took off in, then smiled.

* * *

Glancing at the clock occasionally, I worked in the store. Trish came with her usual new job, then chased Dez away. Customers came and went. All I was thinking about was my decision. Should I, or should I not? Do I even want a relationship? I mean, I barely know this Dallas. Though, He seemed polite enough.

I straightened myself when I saw Austin walk in. I smiled slightly, a nice change from my usual gloomy self.

"Hey Ally," he said.

"Hello," I said casually, different from my short greetings. He blinked, then smiled.

"Anything new?" he asked while picking up a trumpet.

I shook my head. "Not really…"

"Ask that boy out yet?" he said absentmindedly, putting down the trumpet, and running his fingers across the fingerboard of a violin.

"Not yet…" I answered awkwardly.

This conversation was getting nowhere. Suddenly, I had an idea. I looked around the store and mulled my idea over in my mind. There were no costumers right now…

Austin strummed the strings of a vintage guitar. I grabbed his hand, and tugged on it. He looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"Just come with me," I beckoned. He carefully put down the instrument and followed after me. I led him up the steps and to my practice room, the one place where no one, but me, was allowed.

"Wow…" He gaped at the room. With some extra money, my dad got the room remodeled. It now looked like a cool hangout place.

"Yup," I said proudly. He looked around the room. He eyed the microphone and recording set.

"You sing?" he asked. I blushed, then turned away.

"Y-yeah…" I said in a small voice.

"Can I hear you sing?" he asked innocently. I immediately denied. "Why not?" he asked, pouting.

"I have… I have stage fright. I don't want to talk about it," I said solemnly. He picked up a microphone and a head set. Slowly, he walked over to me. I winced as he placed the headphones over my ears, and pressed his head next to mine, probably to hear the music. He wrapped my fingers around the microphone, and placed his hands over them.

"What are yo-?"

"Just sing," he said simply. "Just sing for me. Once?" He closed his eyes.

I was still a bit dubious about singing, but it's worth a shot.

_You hold your head up to the sky_

_Ya say, "What kind of blue are you?"_

_Are you?_

_Then you ride a pony 'round and 'round_

_It's digging a hole right through_

_Right through…_

I kept serenading him. I didn't know why, but singing in front of him was different. No scary glares, no mistakes. I smiled.

Once the song ended, Austin opened his eyes. He beamed at me.

"Ally, that was great!" he exclaimed. He looked at the clock. "I guess you should be going now, huh?"

I blinked. Then I remembered, Dallas. "Oh, yeah! I do! Thanks!" I quickly said as I dashed down the stairs.

I kept my head down the whole way to the food court. I was unsure of my answer, but I was still going. I came to the bench where he first asked me. I found him waiting, just for me.

He smiled hopefully at me. I took a deep breath.

"My answer is…"

* * *

… **And that's where we will end :D**

**Whoo! Longish chapter today (well, for me. It took a while to write this.). By the way, the song Ally sang was "Pony" by Erin McCarley. Go check it out! It's a great song! Anyways, Austin's supporting Ally to go ask Dallas out because, well, that's what friends do. **

**Sorry if it seems like the story's going a bit fast, I don't have any inspiration at the moment D:**

**Hope you enjoy this update! Till next time!**

**Kthnxbai~ ;3**


	6. Chapter 6

**On with the continuation!**

**Btw, when I said "…And that's where we will end :D", I was talking about the chapter. The story is still ongoing. There's so much that hasn't been written… Do I need to speed up the rate in which I post chapters? D: I'm very busy with school and all that, so…**

**Anyways, I started reading more Austin and Ally fanfics and I got inspired again~**

**Okay, so here's the next chapter to our tale! (Please don't stop reading after the first sentence, I promise it will get better…)**

* * *

"My answer is…" I swallowed.

'_I hope I'm doing the right thing…'_ I thought.

"…sure."

His face brightened and he took my hand. "Thank you! You won't regret it!" I chuckled half heartedly. I wasn't so sure about that. I looked down at our clasped hands and sighed. Wasn't there supposed to be a "spark"?

'_No… I'll probably feel it later. I mean, aren't you supposed to feel fireworks in "true love"?' _I thought. I stared into his eyes. _'Yeah… true love…'_

Trish poofed my hair. She inspected me and smiled. "Beautiful," she commented.

I didn't feel beautiful. I felt like a dressed up doll. I felt like… _Tilly_. The name left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I wouldn't lie, the dress was gorgeous. The makeup was simple, but well done. I give props to Trish, but… it wasn't something that I would wear.

"_Beauty's only skin deep,"_ Angel's voice resonated through my mind.

I turned to Trish and smiled. "Thank you," I said quietly. If you couldn't guess by now, I was preparing to go on a date with Dallas.

A knock on the door signaled his arrival. I shooed Trish away when she tried to make last minute adjustments on my hair and dress. After I opened the door, I slightly gasped. He looked dashing. Smiling, I greeted him.

Walking towards his car, we made small talk. He opened the door for me, and I thanked him shyly.

The whole way there seemed so rehearsed. Being polite, occasional talk, and holding hands. That was it.

"So, how did you know my name?" I asked with a small laugh, even though nothing wasn't particularly funny at the moment.

"Well, I always saw you around the mall. I always thought you were quite independent, and pretty. I only found out your name when your friend yelled it across the food court," he explained with a small blush.

"Is that why you asked me out?"

"… Yeah. It started out as a small crush, but I think I really like you now, Ally," he smiled warmly.

I smiled uncertainly.

The rest of the date went well. We talked about a bunch of things, and I learned more about him. He seemed so perfect. While I'm wasn't.

* * *

At my doorstep, I smiled and said, "Thank you for the date." He smiled at me back, and wrapped me in his arms. It felt different hugging Dallas. In his arms, I felt fine, almost normal. But in Austin's arms, I felt comfortable, safe, and a whole lot of other emotions.

"So, how was your date?" Angel asked giddily.

I sighed. "Just perfect." And I went into my room, and slept.

* * *

The sun rays fell on my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, and rolled over onto my side. Suddenly, I felt a body on top of my abdomen. I squint open my eyes to find Angel laying on me.

"Time to wake up," she said. I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head.

"Five more minutes," I groaned.

She pouted and started again. "But, I'm going to Aiden's house today…" she trailed off.

Sighing, I threw the covers off. "Fine," I grumbled, rubbing my eyes. I went through my usual routine, and walked downstairs with Angel practically bouncing.

"Calm down," I said, taking a bite out of my biscuit. She pouted again.

"Sorry, I'm just… so excited!" she squealed. I smiled. _'What a kid…'_ She giddily smiled again. _'But she's my kid.'_

We walked up to the car where our mom was waiting, and drove off. Angel was smiling, but her fingers were twitching slightly.

"Hmm? You're nervous? But you were so happy a minute ago," I teased.

She blushed. "H-huh?" she nervously stuttered. I just laughed. I tapped her nose, while she playfully scowled at me.

"I was just kidding with you," I said. I glanced towards our mother, and saw a smirk playing over her lips. I smiled at her. Even though she didn't understand me at times, she knew Angel very well.

As I was about to pick on Angel more, the car stopped, making me jolt forward slightly. I knew we arrived to the destination when Angel smiled brightly and clasped her hands together. Shortly after though, she started playing with her fingers in anxiety. I groaned playfully and pulled her out of the car, emitting a small squeal out of her.

I winked at her. "Wouldn't want to be late for your _date_ now, would we?" I asked while smirking.

She turned a delightful shade of red before exclaiming, "W-what! It's not a date!"

"Oops, I meant study date~ I bet you wanted it to be one though," I teased her more.

She hit my arm before muttering, "Stop it." I chuckled at her before following her to the door.

She took a shaky breath before lifting her hand to the doorbell, and then dropping it down again. She repeated this cycle over and over again. I raised an eyebrow at her actions. She helplessly looked at me and asked, "Can you do it for me?" She gave me a hopeful look.

I sighed. "Fine," I smirked. She thanked me about a million times before I quieted her down. I rang the doorbell and Angel held her breath. She gave a small squeak when the door opened abruptly.

A boy scanned his warm, brown eyes from me to Angel. He smiled when he saw Angel. When he wasn't looking, I cocked my head. He looked strangely familiar…

"Ally?"

'_Oh shoot…' _I thought.

"Hey Austin," I replied when I caught sight of the blonde haired boy. Angel stared at me, slightly confused. She tugged my sleeve and whispered," You know him?"

"Yeah, he's a friend from school. Don't worry about it," I replied with equal volume.

She smirked and said, "Okay~" She turned back to Aiden and he invited us in. I looked around the room we were in and noticed it was very cozy looking. I looked back to find Austin shifting from foot to foot awkwardly. Angel and Aiden must have run off to work on their project.

We stood in awkward silence for a while before I squeaked, "So, do you have anything to do here?"

I looked away when he lifted his head up. He smiled. "Wanna go into my room?"

I nodded and he pulled my hand up the stairs. I laughed genuinely for the first time in a while. He dramatically paused in front of the door before opening it and bowing down.

"Lady's first," he said with a wink. I gave a small laugh before curtsying just as absurdly.

"Thank you, kind sir," I replied with a tiny smile.

We both entered the room, and I gasped at what I saw. A bunch of instruments. So many that I wanted to play too. He grinned at my reaction.

"I thought you'd like it," he said while hopping on his bed. I plopped on his bed along with him.

"Oh really?" I said sarcastically. His laugh rang throughout the room. He picked up a guitar and randomly started singing popular songs. He even attempted to sing dubstep, which made me laugh along with him. Somewhere in it, he managed to coax me into singing with him too. After collapsing from so much laughing, we calmed down and started talking.

"So, how's living with your brother?" I ask.

He scrunched his face together in thought. "He's annoying, but I still love him," he finally replied.

I grinned. "Of course," I said.

He pouted. "He is annoying though! How about your sister, isn't she bothersome at times?"

I looked away and bit my lip. _'She never is…'_ I thought. Austin looked at me from my sudden silence.

"Angel… is like an angel to me. She always tries to not be a bother to anyone. She's the only one, other than Trish of course, who makes me feel special…" I say quietly.

I must have been in deep thought because I didn't notice Austin crawl in front of me. He sat with a poker face for a while because I was still somewhere else. "I like pancakes."

I jolted a little because I wasn't expecting him to be right in front of me. I was aware that he moved, just not _in my face._ "W-what-?" I asked.

"I like pancakes. Speaking of pancakes, I'm hungry. Want to go eat anything?" he asked. I stuttered a little before he playfully scoffed and took my hand. He dragged all the way to his kitchen and rummaged through the fridge. I watched him do so, and half smiled. Even though he didn't say it, he was trying to tell me "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make it all awkward!"

Meanwhile, he pulled out a can of whipped cream, and tossed me an apple. I bit into the apple with an eyebrow raised, curious as to what he was going to do with the whipped cream. He opened up the can and sprayed a generous load into his mouth. He hummed in content as he ingested the sweet substance.

I giggled at his antics before tossing my apple core into the trash bin. He glanced at me and smirked deviously. He sprayed a dot of whipped cream on my nose. I gasped in shock and looked at Austin's innocent face. I pouted and wiped the cream off and placed it on his mouth instead. He licked it off happily.

He sprayed another dot of cream on me, this time on my cheek. Before I could react, he leaned over and licked it off. I shivered at the wet feel. At the time, I was probably thinking, '_Ew! He licked me, gross…'_

He pulled away and smirked at my disgusted face.

I heard a slight gag and then a, "Ahem."

Austin and I both turned our heads to be greeted by Angel and Aiden staring shocked at us.

Aiden groaned. "Can you guys be all lovey dovey somewhere else?" he asked, making Angel laugh softly.

Austin pouted. "She just a friend," he whined. I stifled a laugh at his childish voice. It seemed like Austin was the younger brother here.

Aiden smirked. "Yeah yeah, whatever. I'm just glad you're friends with a nice girl," he said. Yup, definitely the older one here.

He turned to me and politely said, "By the way, your mom's here to pick you up."

I nodded amiably and stood up, signaling Angel to come. I smiled at Austin, for he was glaring at his brother for being nicer to me than to him.

Once we were right at the door, Angel stopped and smirked knowingly at me. I rolled my eyes and lightly pushed her to continue walking. I was about to joined her, when I heard a voice call out.

"You are special."

I turned around, surprised. I saw Austin leaning against the wall. I cocked my head in confusion.

"About what you said earlier. They treat you specially because you are special," he smiled, "Bye then~"

I stood shocked as he closed the door.

"Ally!" Angel called. I turned around. I hesitated, then smiled. Angel raised an eyebrow at my strange behavior. I merely smiled wider at her.

"So, how far are you on your project?"

* * *

**So there's chapter 6! Whoo~**

**I finally got inspired again, so here's a long chapter for chu. **

**Btw, the whipped cream scene was inspired by my language arts teacher. We were talking about desserts and she said, "Once, I was eating whipped cream with a boy…" I thought it was going to be all sweet and fluffy, but then she said, "But then he laughed really hard and the whipped cream came out of his nose." Well, he really knew how to ruin a moment. XD**

**Anyways, sorry if you see any typos! I wrote this in a rush. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.**

**Hope you enjoyed today's update! Kthnxbai~ ;3**


	7. Chapter 7

… **Hi there (:**

**How have you guys been? Eh, I doubt you'd answer that… Um, on with the story then!**

* * *

The next day, I woke up to a surprise. As usual, I stepped out the car, and waited for Trish to come with me to class. Suddenly, I caught a glance of a familiar mess of brown hair. I widened my eyes as Dallas smiled at me, and jogged over.

He took my hand and brought it to his lips, emitting a gasp from me, and said, "Hello there!"

I blushed, and whispered, "What are you doing here?" He smiled widely.

"I transferred here to be with you, of course!" he whispered excitedly. He made a confused look. "Why are we whispering?"

I looked wistfully at the bimbos glaring at me. "Oh… no reason…" I said hoarsely.

As we walked through the halls, many girls stared and dramatically gasped at Dallas and me. Our hands were clasped and swinging while I showed him around the school. Even Tilly looked at me in disgust. Part of me was secretly happy. I mean, I get to show the girls of my school that looks aren't all you need to get a boy. Well, _ha ha ha_ to them. Though, the other part wanted to shrink away from all the attention.

And I think a small portion of me didn't want to be seen with Dallas as my boyfriend.

I shook that thought out of my head, and continued walking with my head down. I saw a shadow in front of me and I looked up. I narrowed my eyes at who I saw.

Tilly's smiled twitched. She grinned shakily at me and asked, "Ally… who is this?" I can feel her saying, "_If he's your boyfriend, you're so dead._"

Dallas smiled. "I'm Dallas. And I'm Ally boyfriend~" He said, holding up our hands for emphasis. Right then, girls fainted, gasped, and doing whatever else they do. I looked away.

Tilly lowered her eyes. In one swift motion, I was on the ground. Tilly smirked. Surprisingly, it wasn't Tilly who pushed, but rather her minions. Dallas stared down at me, then he looked back to the group of girls gathered around him.

"Why would you go out with Ally? She's so dull!" one girl said while twirling a lock of hair in her fingers.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm so much better!" agreed another girl.

"No, I am!"

"No, I am! Wouldn't you agree, Dallas dear?"

"Um, I think you're mistaken. That would describe me~"

I pressed my hands over my ears to block out the arguing voices. I just wanted to get away. _Please_.

I jumped when I felt a hand on my wrist. The hand pulled my hand away from my face and forced me to look at the person. I looked up into Austin's eyes, and looked towards the group. They were still huddled around Dallas, who was desperately trying to get away, and have forgotten me. Thank goodness.

Austin pulled me to my feet, and, without saying a word, took my hand and rushed me into the music room. He shut the door quietly, and then turned to me. I looked away from him and stared at the piano.

"Was that him?" he finally asked. I slowly nodded my head.

He took a seat in front of me. "Well…" he started.

"Want to hear a song?"

His raised his eyebrows at my outburst. I knew he couldn't say no since I never sing in front of people.

"Sure," he said after a while. I secretly smiled as we settled down on the piano bench.

I lay my fingers across the cool piano keys and let the words flow out.

_I had a way then, losing it all on my own_

_I had a heart then, but the queen has been overthrown_

_And I'm not sleeping now_

_The dark is too hard to beat_

_And I'm not keeping now, the strength I need to push me_

_You show the lights that stop me turn to stone_

_You shine them when I'm alone_

_And so I told myself that I'll be strong_

_And dreaming when they're gone_

_Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home_

_Calling, calling, calling home_

_You show the lights that stop me turn to stone_

_You shine it when I'm alone_

_Home_

I ended right there. He was silent the whole time, and I was wondering what his facial expression was. But I never turned back. I kept my eyes on the piano keys, and stayed silent. I wondered if he was judging me right now. I closed my eyes and bit back tears. The song was basically my life story.

I heard some shuffling behind me. He was probably leaving the room, I think. I bent my head even lower to hide my face. Instead, I felt warm arms around me.

I snapped my head up and blinked. Austin rested his head on my shoulder. I looked at him and scrunched my eyebrows together.

"Why-?" I started.

"Cause you're worth it," he said, "Don't think that I'll leave you that easily…"

I sniffed and tears trailed down my face. Austin brought his hand up to wipe away the waterworks from my eyes.

"Don't cry," he cooed, "It hurts to see one of my friends sad. So smile."

I mustered a smile and wiped away the remaining moisture on my face. I suddenly froze when what he said sunk in. _'W-we're… friends?'_

I looked Austin in the eyes, and said, "Thank you." I smiled.

It was then when I heard a loud knock resonate throughout the room. I turned towards the door of the music room and raised a brow. I mean, who would come to a music room and knock at this time?

I saw Dallas poke his head into the room. He smiled when he saw me, but his face fell when his eyes landed on Austin. I saw a look of annoyance fall on his face.

"Who's this?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Just a friend," I said. Austin looked to the ground and stared as his feet. Dallas relaxed a fraction of a degree. He walked over to me and put his arms around me.

"Let's go to class," he said, smiling a heart-warming smile.

"Okay," I said, pulling my lips into a half smile. I turned to look at an uncomfortable Austin. "Wanna walk with us?"

His eyes flicked towards us and he shook his head. "I'll go with Dez," I gave him a worried look, "Don't worry, I'll be fine." He smirked a little, probably to make me feel better.

Before I could say anymore, Dallas ushered me out the door towards class. I looked back at the music room door left ajar.

* * *

"Bye," I said as I got out of Dallas' car. He smiled.

"Bye!"

I gave a small smile to him as I shut the door. Almost running, I jogged to my house. As I entered, my mom sat at the table.

"Hey mom," I greeted. She looked up and smiled.

"Hi dear," she greeted. I grabbed an apple from the table. When I was about to bite it, my mom spoke up.

"How come you don't invite any friends over?" she inquired.

I grimaced and lowered the apple from my mouth. "There's Trish."

She shook her head. "Other than Trish."

"Because I don't have any friends," I paused a bit, "Why are you interested about my friends coming over anyways?"

She gave a slight shrug. "Because you seem lonely," she took a sip from her mug, "but don't you worry, you'll have other friends soon enough. You just have to wait."With that said, she returned to… whatever she was working on earlier.

With a big _crunch_ from my apple, I walked out the room. "Like that will ever happen…" I whispered.

* * *

Upon entering my room, I dropped my bag with a _thunk_. I plopped on my bed with a frown. _'I have no friends…'_

"_It hurts to see one of my friends cry. So smile."_

I snapped my eyes open. _'I have… I have another friend.'_ I widened my eyes at this realization. I grinned hugely as I got giddier. "I have another friend…" I whispered. I gave a huge sigh as I fell back onto my bed. I didn't even realize that I stood up.

_Knock knock knock. _Though the sudden sound startled me, I quickly answered the door. Angel stood at my door way.

"Wanna go to Aiden's house with me again?" she asked. I thought for a bit.

Smiling, I said, "Sure."

* * *

**There's the ending to this chapter. :)**

**Hoped you thought this was sweet~ Sorry I haven't updated in a month, I was trying to enjoy my break X3**

**Oh yeah, and here's a picture of Angel if you wanted to know what she looks like - akamaruanime . deviantart /art/Beauty-My-Guardian-Angel-333865078 - remove the spaces between the periods and put a ".com" after deviantart ;)**

**Thnx for reading! Bai~**


	8. Chapter 8

**Uh, sorry, I guess I've been neglecting writing this for a while, huh? It's just that I've been really sick the past few days and there was a bunch of schoolwork to be done. I felt kind of bad, so even though I don't really have inspiration right now, I'll push through for you guys :)**

**Oh yeah, sorry if you got your hopes up for seeing what would happen at Aiden's house. I never really planned to write about that…**

**Okay, onto the story!**

* * *

Over the next few days, I spotted Tilly being a bit "friendly" towards Dallas. I shrugged it off as trying to irk me. But, what bothered me a little was that Dallas wasn't doing anything to stop it. I guessed he was too nice to do anything to stop her, so I didn't press him on it.

I was jotting all this into my notebook, until I heard a familiar call. "Ally~" Just hearing my name being called like that made me smile.

"Yeah, Austin?" I replied, looking up from my precious book. He smiled hugely, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

From behind him, he took out a slim, pink box. Hanging from the small, red bow was a tag.

_To: Ally-cat_

_From: Austin_

"Ally-cat?" I asked, a smirk tugging at my lips.

He smiled sheepishly at my question. "Yup, that's my nickname for you!"

"Nick… name?" I asked confused.

"Yeah…" he drew out slowly, "if you don't like it, I could change it…"

"No, no," I quickly replied. "It's just that… no one has given me a nickname before..."

He grinned at this. "Well, I'm glad to be the first!" He eyed the box that he had given me, "Well, are you going to open it or not?"

I stammered a bit before shakily reaching for the lid of the box. I gasped at the sight. A treble clef necklace. My _first_ necklace. I never really cared for jewelry, so I never bought things like this. But… this felt _special_ to me.

I smiled up at Austin, a cheeky grin planted on his face. Tears of happiness stung my eyes, but I dared not let them fall. That would be a sign of weakness.

"Thanks Austin…" I said, full of emotion.

He just smiled and patted my head. "No problem," he grinned.

It was at that moment where Trish ran up to us, out of breath. It looked like she was trying to tell us something, but everything she said was incoherent due to her heavy breathing and huffing.

Finally, she got her breath back, and then she asked, "Hey, Austin, you like singing right?"

Austin scrunched his eyebrows together. "Yeah?" he replied, more like a question than an answer.

This made Trish smirk a devilish grin. "Well then… I got the perfect _revenge_ for Tilly…"

Her reply made Austin and me shiver. She had a very scary aura around her.

"Relaaaax~" her playful voice came. Trish held up a poster. Both Austin and I read what was on it.

_Want to perform in the next school assembly? Now you can!  
__Perform and show off your talent! Just sign your name below.  
__No audition needed. We accept all entries!_

As we read that, Austin and I both had grins growing on our faces.

Dez, seemingly popped out of nowhere and said, "And I'll be there to record the _whole_ thing!"

We looked at each other with a devilish glint in our eyes. This was our time to shine.

* * *

"Are you ready, Austin?" I asked him as he strapped a guitar around himself. He grinned his cheeky smile.

"Yup," his eyes glinted mischeiviously, "because you're going to be out there with me."

My eyes widened. "Oh, n-no, you know I have stage fright!" I exclaimed as I tried to scurry away.

My plan was quickly foiled when he gently grabbed my wrist. He twisted me around so I would look him in the eye. I gulped. "Come on… do it for me…" he gently whispered.

He took a lacey, masquerade mask from the table and pressed on my face. "There, now people won't recognize you…" he said in the same tone. My face burned under his touch.

He took another mask and pulled it on. We were matching. He smiled his warming smile again, and somehow, it made me feel at ease.

"Hey, are you guys ready?" we heard Trish yell. We both pulled away quickly. A few seconds later, Trish came into the room. "You guys are almost on. Get ready~" she giggled, already thinking of the face of Tilly after we perform.

I sighed as we both walked out to the curtains. Austin bent down to my ear and whispered, "You ready?"

I clenched my necklace. I shakily nodded my head. "Yeah… yeah, I'm ready." I replied, stammering.

The person before finished… whatever they were doing before, and we both walked out. Many people were wondering, some started laughing, about why we were wearing masks.

Austin walked up to the microphone and said, "Hey guys, we're going to sing a song for you! This song, we dedicate to the school's _queen_." He smirked while saying this, eyeing a certain blondie.

I went up to the mic as the band started playing. Taking a deep breath, I started.

_I had a way then, losing it all on my own_

_I had a heart then, but the queen has been overthrown_

_And I'm not sleeping now_

_The dark is too hard to beat_

_And I'm not keeping now, the strength I need to push me_

_You show the lights that stop me turn to stone_

_You shine them when I'm alone_

_And so I told myself that I'll be strong_

_And dreaming when they're gone_

_Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home_

_Calling, calling, calling home_

_You show the lights that stop me turn to stone_

_You shine it when I'm alone_

_Home_

By then, I wasn't as nervous as before. I had adrenaline pumping through my veins. I started doing little dances while I was singing, but not too exuberantly because of how horrible a dancer I was. This continued until the rest of the song. Funny thing was, I wished the song never ended!

Tilly was fuming by the end of it. She was barking something at her minions, them cowering behind each other.

I quickly spoke into the microphone before my courage drained out. "Next song we're doing is going to be a cover."

Austin looked at me in confusion, but I only winked at him. I started the opening guitar riff and he instantly understood. A grin slowly covered his face.

_Hail Caesar shadow on my backseat_

_And her friends are standing right in front of me_

_Worldwide from Cimmaron to Turkey_

_Open up, said everybody loves me_

_And you don't have to make a sound_

'_Cause they got what you need_

Austin looked away from the audience and glanced at me. He gave me another encouraging smile which made my confidence flare up even more.

_Make you say_

_Oh my, feels just like I don't try_

_Look so good I might die_

_All I know is everybody loves me_

By this time, Austin was dancing all over the place, much better than I would, pointing out into the crowd. Tilly fumed even more and tried stomping away, but since this was a school assembly, she couldn't. Some popular students scoffed at the irony of who was singing the song. Others, who were not so high on the social pyramid, laughed and sang along.

_Head down, swaying to my own sound_

_Flashes in my face now_

_All I know is everybody loves me_

_Everybody loves me, everybody loves me_

The big "party" continued until the song ended. When Austin and I walked off the stage and a bunch of awww's and cheer's came, we knew we did something good.

Trish and Dez congratulated us. "This will make an awesome video!" Dez exclaimed to himself.

Trish just smirked over his shoulder while they both watched the video together. I snickered to myself, and pulled Austin away from them so they could have "alone" time.

"Ally-cat! You did great!" Austin complimented.

I blushed in embarrassment and looked down. "Thanks," I said.

"Ally."

The lone voice made both Austin and I to look to the speaker. It was Dallas.

He promptly walked up to me and hugged me. I flushed under the sudden show of affection. Pulling away he said, "You did great." Then he gave a wink.

I only gave a small smile to him.

Austin just stood there, unsure of what to do. It looked like he was contemplating whether to leave, or just stand there and watch us. I decided to spare him of the decision by telling Dallas that I'll see him later.

Austin breathed a sigh of relief when he thought I wasn't looking.

After a moment of silence, I said, "You did pretty good yourself, you know."

He gave a shaky laugh. "You think?" he asked timidly. I guess all the adrenaline from being on stage ran empty.

I gave a hearty laugh. "Yeah," I smiled, "You're a good dancer too. Teach me sometime?"

He smirked. "Sure, why not?"

And with that, we both erupted into laughter.

* * *

After the huge laughfest, I parted from the rest of the group to get ready for next period. _'Let's see… English textbook, notebook, copy of Scarlet Letter…'_

My thoughts were stopped short when a hand came and slammed my locker shut. Immediately recognizing the manicured nails, I turned to glare at the owner.

"That was some big thing you pulled out there at the assembly," Tilly growled out.

I only stared emotionlessly at her. "Oh really? I was just saying was on my mind…" I said innocently.

Then, I smirked. "… about how you're a big, nosy freak."

I twisted on my heel and briskly walked away, not caring if she had anything else to say after that.

I heard her growl darkly. "Mark my words _slut_," I peeked an eye over my shoulder, "you regret the very day you decided to defy_ me_…"

I only gave a little hum before walking to English.

* * *

**Okie, so here's this chapter. Oooh, drama bomb c:**

**I was originally going to put the climax in this chapter, but then decided that the story would be going too fast (and the fact that this is an Austin and Ally fanfic. I mean, there must be at least one performance!). So, expect the climax in the next chapter! The story's coming to an end… aw.**

**The songs in the chapter were "Lights" by Ellie Goulding (Wah, I have no internet at the moment, so I don't know if that is the correct spelling of her last name) and "Everybody Loves Me" by One Republic.**

**Oh yeah, and no, I'm not going to write about when Austin teaches Ally how to dance, that was a joke.**

**Hope you enjoyed this update!**


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